Containers



June 10, 1969 c. H. MALPAS CONTAINERS Filed April 10, 1968 07. v J vUnited States Patent US. Cl. 22063 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA container, for liquids, having a substantially rigid outer containerasone made of tinplate, cardboard or a relatively rigid plasticmaterialhas a flexible bag-like inner container mounted within it. Atubular housing is fastened to the outer container and is adapted toreceive a tap or cock for engagement with the inner container, and theinner container is fastened to the housing by retainer ring means whichlock the inner container to the housing and, therefore, relative to theouter container. A removable plug is fitted within the tubular housingto ensure that when the inner container is fitted, it does not becomeinadvertently disengaged from the housing storage or transport.

The inner container and the locking ring means may be made as asubassembly to facilitate the production of the complete container.

This invention relates to improvements in containers and it refersparticularly to containers having an outer container of a rigid orsubstantially rigid materialsuch as tinplate, wood, cardboard orrelatively rigid plastic material, or a combination thereof-and aflexible inner container or bag for holding liquid, and wherein there ismade provision for the insertion of a tap or cock for dispensing thecontents of the container.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved means for fasteninga bag-like inner container to the outer container at a location whereatthe tap or cock is to be fitted.

In fastening the bag-like inner container to the outer container at thelocation whereat the tap or cock is to be fitted it is desirable for theinner container to be so held that the inner end of the tap willpenetrate the inner container very readily as said tap is fitted to theouter container. It is also most desirable that the inner containershould not become detached from the outer container either before orafter the tap has been so fitted, as otherwise leakages of the liquidcontents may occur.

Therefore, it is a further object to provide means for so holding theinner container at the location of its connection to the outer containerthat the entering end of the tap or cock will penetrate the innercontainer very readily, and the inner container will not become detachedfrom its connection to the outer container either before or after thetap has been fitted to the outer container.

It is another object to provide an assembly of an inner container andfastening means, such that the inner container may be readily engagedwith a tap housing fitted to the outer container. A still further objectis to provide means for preventing disengagement of the inner containerfrom the outer container during storage and transport of the filledcontainer.

Summary of this invention Accordingly, this invention provides acontainer for liquids comprising an outer container having fitted to ita housing for supporting a dispensing valve or cock, said housing havinga neck portion extending within the outer "Ice container, and an innercontainer fastened to said housing, characterized in that a retainerring is mounted on and engaged securely with said housing neck, theretainer ring being operative to clamp portion of the inner container onto the housing neck in such a manner that part of the inner containerconstitutes a frangible diaphragm extending across the inner end of thehousing neck.

Preferably, there are two retainer rings, an inner ring and an outerring, the inner ring being adapted to engage the neck of the housing andthe outer ring being adapted to lock on the inner ring to clamp theinner container to the inner ring and thus to the housing.

The invention also provides a plug for engagement within the housing soas to lock the retainer ring or rings against displacement from thehousing neck.

Additionally, the invention provides an inner container assembly formounting within an outer container; comprising a bag-like innercontainer of flexible material for containing liquid, an inner retainerring and an outer retainer ring, said outer retainer ring being withinthe inner container and said inner retainer ring being outside the innercontainer, and said inner and outer retainer rings being locked togetherwith portion of the inner container tightly across one face of the innerring to constitute a diaphragm, and a rim portion of the inner containerabout the diaphragm gripped between said rings.

It is preferred that the housing and that retainer ring which fitswithin the inner container be made of polyethylene, so as to avoidlikelihood of contamination of the contents of the container. If desiredthe retainer ring may be made of high density polyethylene to providefor a suitable degree of rigidity. When two retainer rings are used, asis preferred, the outer ring may be of polyethylene and the inner ringof polypropylene.

The inner container is made as a flexible bag and it is preferably madeof several plies-as an inner ply of polyethylene to preventcontamination of the contents of the container, an outer layer of amaterial to prevent or great- 1y restrict passage of oxygen through thewall of the inner container and a layer of a strengthening material suchas polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene. However, it is to be understoodthat the construction of the inner container itself does not form partof the invention.

Brief description of the drawings In order that the invention may beclearly understood and readily put into practical form I shall nowdescribe one exemplary construction made according to the invention anda modification "thereof, with reference to the accompanying illustrativedrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a container of the type specified,incorporating the means for fastening the inner container to the outercontainer;

FIG. 2 shows a vertical, longitudinal, cross-section on the line and inthe direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates part of an assembly of inner container and fasteningmeans;

FIG. 4 shows the manner of assembly of the fastening means to the innercontainer;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the valve housing which, in the completecontainer assembly, is attached to the outer container and to which theinner container is fi-tted;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the plug for ment in the valve housing;and

FIG. 7 illustrates a modification.

Description of the preferred emobdime'nts engage- The complete containerassembly comprises an outer container 11 which, as illustrated, is madeof :metal and is of cylindrical shape, being in the form of a drum.Within theouter container 11 is a bag-like flexible collapsible innercontainer 12 which holds the liquid contents 13. For the dual purpose ofsupporting a tap or cock, and for fastening the inner container 12 tothe outer container 11, a housing 14 is fitted to the front end plate 15of the container 11, being secured in an opening on said plate 15.

The housing 14 has a neck portion 16 through which is a bore 17, whichhas a very shallow groove of slightly enlarged diameter near one end. Onthe outer surface of the neck are two spaced circumferential beads 18and 19, with acircumferential groove 20 between them. At the outer endof the neck 16 is an external flange 21 having an upward extension 22,with a stud 23 near its upper end, and a rim 24 which provides a seating25 on the outer surface on the flange 21. The rim 24 is so shaped thatthe seating 25 is noncircular, to accommodate a noncircular flange onthe tap or cock and hold said tap against turning relative to thehousing.

The metal edge of the opening into which the housing 14 is to be fittedis turned inwardly, as shown in FIG. 2, and the bead 19 is spaced ashort distance from the external flange 21 of the housing, so that thereis a circumferential groove 26 between them, and in the fitting of thehousing to the front end plate 15 the inwardly curved metal edge of theopening engages tightly in that groove 26 to form a liquid-tight seal.The stud 23 is engaged tightly in a small hole in the front end plate 15so as to hold the housing 14 against turning movement relative to theouter container 11.

For the purpose of fastening the inner container 12 to the housing 14,and thus to the outer container 11, two retainer rings 27 and 28 areprovided. The inner (or smaller) ring 27 has an internal circumferentialbead or shoulder 29 of such dimensions as to be adapted to fit tightlyin the circumferential groove 20 of the housing. That bead 29 is in theouter end part of the ring 27, and the circular outer edge 30 of thebead is rounded or chamfered so as to facilitate engagement of that ringwith the neck 16 of the housing. The outer surface of the inner ring 27is also of stepped shape, there being an external circumferential bead31 at the inner end of the ring.

Said outer ring 28 has an internal circumferential bead or shoulder 33at the outer end portion thereof, and the circular outer edge 34 of thebead is rounded or chamfered to facilitate engagement with the innerring 27. The outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 28 isformed with a shallow circumferential groove 35.

The internal dimensions of the outer ring 28 and the external dimensionsof the inner ring 27 are such that the one ring is a neat fit on theother, the bead 33 of the outer ring 28 is interfitted with the bead 31of the inner ring 27 so that when the two rings are fitted togethertheir inner faces are substantially coplanar, as are their outer faces.

The two retainer rings 27 and 28 are conveniently made of a somewhatresilient plastic material-the outer ring may be made of polyethyleneand the inner ring of po1ypropyleneand they are fitted to the innercontainer 12 so as to constitute a subassembly prior to their beingpressed on to the inner end of the housing neck 16. For that purpose theouter ring 28 is placed within the inner container 12 and held so thatits outer face is in contact with the inner surface of the innercontainer 12 at the correct location, and the inner ring 27 is placed sothat its inner face is against the outer surface of the inner containerat the same location-see FIG. 4. Then, by applying opposed forces to thetwo rings 27, 28 in the directions of the arrows AA (shown in FIG. 4)the two rings are pressed together and the one is slid on to the other,the. inner bead 33 of the outer ring 28, sliding over the outer head 31of the inner ring 27. As the external diameter of the outer bead 31 isgreater than the internal diameter of the inner bead 33 the outer ring28 is stretched as it slides into position with the head 33 engagedoutwardly of the bead 31.

As the two rings 27, 28 are fitted together that portion of the innercontainer 12 fitting over the inner face of the inner ring is stretchedand drawn tightly over that inner face of the ring 27 to constitute adiaphragm 36 which will fracture when the entering end of the tap ispressed into engagement with it.

In order to fasten the inner container 12 to the housing 14 it isnecessary only to press the inner ring 27 of the container 12inner ring27outer ring 28 assembly on to the inner end of the neck 16 so that thebead 29 engages in the circumferential groove 20 of said neck 16. Therings 27 and 28 are of such longitudinal dimension and the head 29 is ofsuch length that whenthe bead 29 is firmly seated in the groove 20 theinner faces of the rings are substantially coplanar with the inner endof the housing 14, and therefore the diaphragm 36 is held in positionacross the inner end of the housing 14 as shown in FIG. 2.

The plug 37 is of somewhat top-hat shape and it has a cylindricalportion 38 with a wall 39 at its inner end, an external flange 40 at itsouter end and several ex: ternal, longitudinal ribs 41 equally spacedabout the outer surface of the part 38. The cylindrical portion 38 is ofsuch diameter that it is a neat fit within the bore 17 through thehousing 14, and is thus adapted to hold the neck 16 against compressionand thereby prevent or at least greatly restrict the likelihoodof-inadvertent removal of the inner container-retainer ring assemblyfrom the housing neck once the plug has been fitted in the housing 14.The length of the plug 37 is such that when the inner ends of the ribs41 are pressed against the seating 25 at the outer end of the housing 14the inner end wall 39 of the plug will be spaced only a short distancefrom the frangible diaphragm 36, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The ribs 41ensure that the flange 40 is spaced a short distance from the surface ofthe seating 25 to enable the plug to be readily removed from the housing14.

In modification of the invention illustrated in FIG. 7 there is but asingle ring 271, which, before the fitting of the inner container 12 tothe housing neck 16, is placed within the inner container so that whenthe container 12 is appropriately located relative to the housing 14that retainer ring 271 may be pressed on to the neck 16. Said singleretainer ring 271 is substantially the same as the inner ring 27, savethat its outer surface is not stepped but rather is of cylindricalshape. The action of pressing that single ring 271 on to the neck 16draws the material of the inner container 12 tightly across the innerend of the neck 16 to constitute the diaphragm 36. After engagement ofthe ring 271 on the neck 16 the plug 37 is pressed into the bore 17 ofthe housing 14 so as to hold the inner container securely on the housing14.

In the foregoing decription mention has been made of the materials fromwhich the several parts are formed. However, it is to be realized thatthe parts may be made of any suitable material, which will to an extentdepend on the nature of the liquid contents of the container.

What is claimed is:

1. A container, for liquids, comprising an outer container having fittedto it a housing for supporting a dispensing valve or cock, said housinghaving a neck portion extending within the outer container, and an innercontainer fastened to said housing, wherein at least one retainer ringis mounted on said housing neck operatively to clamp a portion of theinner container to the housing neck in such manner that part of theinner container constitutes a-frangible diaphragm across the inner endof the housing neck.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a second retainer ring isfitted on to the first said retainer ring and said two retainer ringsclamp the portion of the inner container between them.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first 5 said retainerring has an external circumferential bead and the second retainer ringhas an internal circumferential bead for interengagement with theexternal bead 0f the first retainer ring.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing neck has anexternal circumferential groove and said retainer ring has an internalcircumferential bead adapted to engage with said groove.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 wherein the housing neck has twospaced-apart external circumferential beads and said groove is betweensaid heads.

6. A container as claimed in claim 4 wherein the housing neck has twospaced-apart external circumferential beads and said groove is betweensaid beads, the housing has an external flange at its outer end and asecond external groove between the flange and the next adjacent externalbead.

7. A container for liquids as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plug isfitted in said housing, said plug being operative to restrain the innerpart of the housing against contractile movement whereby to lock theretainer ring in position.

8. A container for liquids as claimed in claim 7 wherein the plug is oftop-hat shape.

9. An inner container assembly for mounting within an outer containercomprising a bag-like inner container of flexible material forcontaining liquid, an inner retainer 0n the outside of the innercontainer and an outer retainer ring inside the inner container, saidinner and outer retainer rings being locked together with a portion ofthe inner container extending tightly across one face of the inner ringto constitute a diaphragm, and a portion of the inner container aboutthe diaphragm clamped between said rings.

10. An inner container assembly as claimed in claim wherein the innerretainer ring has an external circumferential bead and the outerretainer ring has an internal circumferential bead for interengagementwith the external bead of the inner retainer ring.

11. An inner container assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the innerretainer ring has an internal circumferential bead.

12. A container for liquids comprising an outer container of relativelyrigid material, a housing for supporting a dispensing tap fitted to saidouter container, and an inner container assembly as claimed in claim 9fitted to the inner end portion of the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,721,674 10/ 1955 Lazard 220632,989,208 6/1961 Gibbs 22027 3,348,728 10/196-7 Love 220-63 3,354,91311/1967 Goto 220-63 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

JAMES R. GARRETT, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

